An expositio[n] upon the two epistles of the apostle S. Paul to the Thessalonians…An expositio[n] vpon the two epistles of the apostle S. Paul to the Thessalonians…

Nor coloured covetousness. The Scribes & the Pharisees devoured up widows houses under pretence of their long prayers: they prayed, and made money of their prayers: they gave alms, and made money of their alms giving: they fasted, and made money of their fasting. This did the Scribes & the Pharisees: their doings continue still: they be dead, their name is taken away, but their profession abideth. As they made gains of their prayers, & alms, & fasting: so do some now make great gains, & war rich under pretence of holiness. They have brought in a profession of wilful chastity, & forbidden marriage in some whole estate of men. No doubt ⟨p. 57⟩•astitie is a holy thing. But they have given licence for money, to such as would, to forsake their vow of chastity. They have forbidden to eat certain meats, upon certain days. God left meats as free to the choice of every man, as he left his sun to shine freely to the use of all men. And they make free liberty for money, to eat what every man liketh. They make money of Purgatory, money of pardons, and money of their Masses. They make money of Peter, and of Paul, of the Apostles, and Martyrs, and of Christ himself. These are they of whom Saint Peter speaketh, ¹Through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you. One saith of them, Curia Romana non captat ovem sine lana. The court of Rome careth not for that sheep, that hath no fleece. I will not lay forth at large, how they do• all things for covetousness. I have no pleasure in speaking it. God grant us, so to deliver the gospel aright, that we use not the trueth of God, for a cloak of covetousness.

Nor coloured couetousnesse. The Scribes & the Pbarises deuoured vp widowes houses vnder pretense of their long praiers: they praied, and made mony of their praiers: they gaue almes, and made monie of their almes giuing: they fasted, and made monie of their fasting. This did the Scribes & the Pharises: their doings continue stil: they be dead, their name is takē away, but their prosessiō abideth. As they made gains of their praiers, & alms, & fasting: so do some now make great gaines, & war rich vnder pretence of holines. They haue brought in a professiō of wilful chastity, & forbiddē mariage in some whole estate of men. No doubt ⟨p. 57⟩